Alex Kotch

Alex is an investigative journalist based in Brooklyn, New York, and a reporter for the money-in-politics website Sludge. He was on staff at the Institute for Southern Studies from 2014 to 2016. Additional stories of Alex's have appeared in the International Business Times, The Nation and Vice.com.

Articles by Alex

February 4, 2016 -
The only super PAC in the billionaire Koch brothers' conservative political network, which is set to spend almost $1 billion on this year's election, Freedom Partners Action Fund just submitted its year-end report to the Federal Elections Commission. It shows a small number of conservative mega-donors are bankrolling the group's efforts, including seven Southern businessmen.

January 21, 2016 -
On the sixth anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision that allowed unlimited private money to flow into U.S. elections, with political spending showing no signs of slowing, citizens and some elected officials are taking action to end what some call "legalized corruption."

January 14, 2016 -
Right-wing industrialist Charles Koch's efforts to reshape higher education in the South were the topic of a Georgia Public Broadcasting talk show this week. Guests included Institute for Southern Studies money in politics researcher Alex Kotch and Inside Higher Ed editor Scott Jaschik.

January 8, 2016 -
Since President Obama launched the White House Police Data Initiative last year, citizens have mobilized to bring data on police traffic stops and use of force to the public in easy-to-use online formats.

December 18, 2015 -
Super PACs, "social welfare" nonprofits, and other outside groups are spending record amounts on ads in the 2016 presidential race, more than triple the total at this point compared to four years ago. But are the ads effective? We consider lessons from North Carolina, a key swing state that in recent elections has attracted record amounts of outside money.

December 10, 2015 -
Twenty-two out of the South's 26 U.S. senators voted against two gun-safety measures the day after last week's massacre in San Bernardino, California. All but one Southern senator voting "nay" received direct campaign donations from the National Rifle Association, benefited from outside political spending by the NRA, or both.